Monday, June 13, 2011

Wednesday

It's a historical night ahead as the Canucks and Bruins meet in game seven of the Cup Final. A rarity perhaps? Not really. This is the 16th Stanley Cup game seven with the last one coming in 2009 with Pittsburgh beating Detroit. The home team is 12-3 all-time.

What Canadian artist/group will kick off CBC's game seven opening montage tonight? You can bet the CBC will put together a pretty good montage....as long as they steer clear of Jann Arden or Bryan Adams. Wait and see I guess...----------

Yesterday I spoke with Nashville Predators Head Coach Barry Trotz. He's headlining the Kamloops Coaches Conference a month from now. Trotz, who makes his off-season home in the Okanagan near Vernon says the Canucks will win game seven...but it might take overtime. Yikes.

Want to have access to all WHL games via your mobile phone this year? Search the smartphone app called "tunein radio". The download is free. Use the search window to find your station and you're good to go. For example I searched "Kamloops CHNL" and we came up right away. Even searching the city of the originating broadcast will more than likely lead you there.

A warning though, the app is a battery drainer. Make sure you're on a good data plan too. It'll be good to listen to games on the bus this season ahead rather than refreshing the WHL's mobile site.

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Is this Mark Recchi's final game in the NHL tonight? Possibly. Recchi is still contributing and could likely go another year. He picked up three assists in game six against the Canucks.

--------Speaking of TSN... because of them being short bodies due to Stanley Cup coverage I was dispatched along with Pat from Pro Video down to BC Lions camp to get some interviews for themIt was a pretty simple gig...that is until the wind caught the Lions backdrop and blew it over onto Lions Head Coach/GM Wally Buono. The blooper made the Plays of the Week. You can watch the footage. It's about 45 seconds in here.

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Dave Hunchak and his family will soon be moving to Kamloops as he prepares for his new role as Blazers Associate Coach. I believe this will be his first hockey job outside of Saskatchewan.

When we spoke after the announcement I told him one of the perks will be getting out of those sometimes nasty prairie winters. That is true to some extent, except the Blazers will spend two weeks in Saskatchewan likely in December this season for the eastern swing. There's a chance the final game before the Christmas break could be in Moose Jaw. A win there would be a nice early Christmas gift for Hunchak you would have to think.

Hunchak and I had three years of post-game coaches show interviews. I'd suspect we'll pick up right where we left off... wherever that was.

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The WHL AGM's are underway. A lot of issues on the agenda including potential rule changes and talk over head shots. The CHL is not mandated by the Hockey Canada guidelines outlined last month. I'd expect the WHL to follow suit with potential NHL rule changes. -------------Congratulations to long-time Blazer bus driver (Coach Captain) Brennan Driedger and his wife to be Rachel Keating. They are getting married in Ireland Friday and then will be honeymooning across Europe after.Enjoy game seven!Jon

Twitter @jonkeenNLsports

Jon Keen is the play-by-play voice for the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League and host of the "WHL This Week" Radio Show which is available at whl.ca.
After spending seven seasons as play-by-play broadcaster for the Swift Current Broncos, Jon headed west to call games for the Blazers for the start of the 2010-11 season on Radio NL
Jon has covered some major events in the sports world including NHL drafts in Ottawa (twice), Raleigh, NC, Vancouver and Columbus.